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 Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 8:09 am
The last time she had been asleep, she estimated she had gained an extra two to three hours of consciousness compared to the first time. If that was true, she predicted that she could push her limits this time as well, and felt a small swell of relief at the thought. It meant that she didn't have to rush like she had the last time she was awake, and she could study the dorm roster more carefully for names she recognized.
She fished through the desk drawers that apparently belonged to her, looking through mass of papers in her own handwriting that varied between emotionally moving unsent letters - which she made a mental note to investigate later - and what looked like world studies, and eventually uncovered a series of writing utensils packed away underneath, that hadn't been used. There were similar ones on the desk itself, but she opted for the unused set, the ones buried away and likely forgotten.
Taking them, she then headed out of her room and straight to Maritess', taking a bag the Undead was hiding for her. After the small niceties, Maritess handed her a piece of paper - which was casually tucked into the bag without being looked at - and 'Amrita' was off again, heading out of the dorms and into the cool open air outside. She took a breath, and headed out, making her way through the school and towards the weeping woods, seeking privacy in a place the other Amrita often visited that was more comfortable to her than the unfamiliar, fish-laden room.
Those she passed she smiled at, and paused for a brief - and rather vague - conversations with those who seemed to know her, but ultimately she kept them short and sweet, trying nonchalantly to get away from everything around her.
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Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 8:35 pm
Privacy was a rare commodity, at Amityville. This was a lesson learned time and again, as any who sought for it, often found themselves disappointed. Even in the dark recesses of the woods, where it felt like no life dared tread, there was no assurance of privacy. Riley was in the woods more often than not, re-training her hunting skills as well as attempting some rather failed attempts to contact someone who'd long been severed from her consciousness. Now, she only went there to hunt, and to think.
There was a lot of thinking to be done, nowadays. A lot of burden settled on her shoulders concerning her new, untried path. Questions were answered, only to give rise to more complicated questions in its wake.
And sometimes, when she let her mind wander, a memory snuck in and reminded her that she was not alone.
She heard Amrita's approach from a distance, and stayed exactly where she was, lounging carefully on a tree branch high up in a curvy oak. She could see Amrita, closing in, and silently considered whether a scare was worth the trouble of rousing the ghoul's anger.
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Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 9:10 pm
The Patchwork paused as if she sensed someone watching her, and looked around to find its source. She found nothing - and in this body couldn't see very well through the darkness of the trees - but her guard, once raised, did not drop. If she felt as though she were being watched, chances were, she was.
Not quite wanting to arouse suspicion, she continued to move as if nothing caught her attention, making her way to the base of a tree not too far from the curvy oak her unknown watcher was perched in. The ghoul kept her back to it, having chose it because it dwarfed her considerably; it would watch her back, so to speak.
Slowly she slid down it, easing into a sitting position that her other self often took; her knees to her chest, her feet tucked under her. It was comfortable, and strangely familiar, but most importantly it was easy to spring up from should the need arise.
The ghoul cast another suspicious glance around the woods, now pulling the set of papers from the bag she had taken from Maritess; the Dorm Roster, a complete and accurate account of the current residents, sectioned by specie and listed numerically after.
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Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 10:05 pm
Amrita chose her tree to rest against, which made her decision a little simpler. If it was going to be this easy, she was going to enjoy herself. So she waited until Amrita was settled down, and pulled out some papers, before she decided to move. She waited still, for a breeze to rustle the leaves, and she uncurled herself from the branch as they swayed. The claws of her hands and feet slid into the bark, gripping her as she crawled, upside down, much like a bug would. Each movement was slow and careful, finding her step before making another. her tentacles assisted in the process by wrapping around the trunk, and taking some of her weight.
She was on the other side of the tree, climbing down it headfirst, until she neared where Amrita waited on the opposite side. This was when her path down the tree curved, and her head peeked over the crest of the bark, peering over Amrita's shoulder.
She wasn't the type to scare with sound, but her position and proximity was eerie enough, and she settled for that as she finally exposed herself to the ghoul.
What are you reading? All she could see was names, but she made no connection.
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Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 7:24 am
The suspicion never left, and grew worse as the sounds around her were familiar, and yet somehow different. Yet still, she found no shadows in her surroundings, and even looking up into the tree proved fruitless. There was nothing around her, which frustrated her because she felt something was there.
"Who's there?" She called out, finally annoyed enough to pipe up. She had expected a voice to answer her, or a body that made it's presence known, but by no means expected that to hear a voice directly in her head. It startled her visibly, so much so that the mouthless face over her shoulder almost - almost - received a welcoming punch, but as she raised her hand she remembered Mari's warning to not attack without being attacked first. The gesture now useless, her fingers curled as if uncertain of what to do and, frowning, she instead lifted her hand to tuck her hair behind her ear to pass the movement off as nonchalantly as she could. Had a voice really spoken directly into her thoughts? How was that even possible?
"It's rude to startle someone while they read." 'Amrita' said, with an edge of annoyance to her voice that she was carefully smoothing out. This was an energy she did not recognize; this woman did not belong to her kingdom, but whether or not she knew the other self was still to be seen. She had an idea on how to act thanks to Mari's guidance, and so, with a small sigh, she tilted the registry just enough for the featureless face to see, if those eyes actually worked.
"The Dorm Roster." Any further answer would need prompting, unfortunately. Old habits did die hard.
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Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 7:35 pm
She expected Amrita to be surprised, certainly. In fact, if she had punched her, Riley would have considered it an acceptable price to pay for the prank, especially coming from her. But Amrita showed impressive self-control, pulling back before the punch was thrown and scolding her instead. Riley's featureless expression lifted in a slow, satisfied smirk.
I apologize. Riley murmured, sounding effectively chastised. I couldn't help myself. I will not do it again. This was a lie, she probably would if she was ever given the chance.
Riley's body twisted and gnarled until her feet were on the floor, and the rest of her turned to accommodate. She sat down on the ground beside Amrita, and folded her hands in her lap carefully. She wasn't looking at Amrita's papers, anymore. She was staring with faint, disconnected interest at Amrita's face.
She was waiting for something.
After a few moments, Riley's head tilted just an inch to the left, and she let out an interested hum.
What is your name?
That didn't take long.
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Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 7:59 pm
"Apology accepted." 'Amrita' acknowledged softly to the effectively chastised tone. Luckily, she rarely trusted anyone, and made a mental note to make sure this never happened again. On her side of things, at least. She watched with very little interest as the featureless creature stood near her and eventually sat down, the motion too easy and familiar to be a coincidence. Either this tentacled being was overly friendly, or they knew each other to some degree...but it was hard to tell for certain. This world was strange to her, and those within it even more so. The question surprised her, though it was largely in part to being entirely uncomfortable with the voice that spoke so directly in her mind.
"What do you mean?" She replied with a small wrinkle of her nose, sounding a little incredulous. "You know who I am." According to Maritess, this Amrita was also a rather public figure; it would be a rare student indeed to not recognize her, or so the Shadow hoped.
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Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 8:05 pm
A few long seconds passed where Riley did not act as though she'd heard any answer. Her white eyes were firmly resting on Amrita, blinking only when they needed to. Nothing about her expression gave away the fact that she thought this was delightfully amusing, but soon enough she broke her stillness, nodding slowly in order to play along.
Of course I do. How silly of me. You are the mighty Amrita, destroyer of worlds. No greater can match your prowess. Her voice was frighteningly deadpan, devoid of any streak of emotion.
Until she spoke next.
And you know who I am, of course. A twist of wry amusement might have leaked out into her voice on that one. It was only fair.
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Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 8:26 pm
The long deadpan reply made Amrita close the roster she was holding with a heavy sigh. Her eyes rolled at just how ridiculous it was, though she would be lying to say that it sounded like a lovely title. At least it confirmed something for her, and as the question was turned on her, the ghoul frowned.
"Of course." That same incredulous tone made it through in her words, and with a sigh she made a show of packing up her items. She pulled the bag closed and brought the strap over her shoulder before she made a move to stand. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have better things to do with my time than waste it on this ridiculous game."
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Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 9:11 pm
Riley did not stop the ghoul from getting up, or turning away; but when she did turn, the illithid had slid into her way, stopping her from taking another step forward. She leaned in, her entire face lifted in smugness.
She told me about you, you know. The game had been fun, but she was tired of playing it. This felt important, and she treated the moment as such. She did not tell me your name, but she told me about you. I've known for quite some time, and haven't gone off telling. She tapped her temple with one long, clawed finger. We have something in common, you see.
She straightened up, and folded her arms in front of her stubbornly. The only thing I don't know, is what you call yourself. You show me yours, and I will show you mine.
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Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 10:03 pm
She stopped as the creature continued to make a nuisance of itself, her gaze half lidded as if bored - or perhaps annoyed - at the consistently smug interruption. Her expression changed though, however slightly, at the next few words that echoed through her mind.
"She?" The patchwork repeated, confused and yet entirely curious. It was an interesting story and an even more interesting thought, and yet it presented her with a whole new set of questions. "Interesting." She could only wonder how much her host knew, how long the knowledge had been there...and, of course, if they were talking about the same thing. The change in the Mindflayer's approach was enough to suggest she were being serious now, which was enough to make her pause to consider.
Her gaze flickered towards the gesture she made to her temple, and was quick to make eye contact again, searching quietly for answers she could only guess at.
"My chosen name is Amrita." The Shadow insisted after a moment of silence and a thoughtful click of her tongue. "...but my given name is The Moon." She admitted, apparently deciding to take a small gamble.
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Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 10:43 pm
She waited, so still it was hard to tell she breathed, as the ghoul sought out answers in her white, glowing eyes. There were none to be found; her lifetime of training at work.
I see. Contact. She felt the tiniest pinprick of pleasure at succeeding, and quickly moved on. So you choose Amrita. I chose Riley, as well, when I figured out I wasn't alone. It made far too much sense to her to take the name. She assumed the same had occurred for this being inside of Amrita - though it did disturb her that the creature had full control over Amrita, somehow.
That was a question best left for later.
The Moon, though. A very interesting given name. She wondered at whether the creature was a demon, and tasted the name for any essence of power at being given it. She found none to speak of, much to her disappointment. A pleasure to meet you, Amrita. I've often wondered if I ever would. Alas, I was presumptuous and assumed you had little to no power over your counterpart, your, ah, shall we say roommate?
A quiet chuckle filtered out, though it was a disturbingly unnatural echo of a sound, as if it was overlayed atop itself repeatedly.
What were you hoping to find in the roster, if I may be so bold to ask? Her eyes glanced to Amrita's hands for just a moment. I am told I was once the president of this student body. I was regifted much of my memory, by those who remained loyal to me even after.. She seemed to grow distant for a moment, before waving it off. Well. Even after. So perhaps I could be of some assistance.
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Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 10:00 am
"Riley." Moon repeated softly, hoping that the syllables would give her clues once spoke out loud; sadly, the name did not dredge up any further memories, however distant. If this woman were in any Kingdom, she had never met her on or off the battlefield. When her given name was commented on, a slow smile spread on her lips. She was quite proud of her name; for all its negative connotations, she had overcome it, harnessed it, and ultimately gained so much.
"Named for the Eighteenth Arcana." Amrita explained, still trying to figure out the strange creature before her. One that was familiar to her host, and yet waited for her? The questions continued to rise, more and more of them until she didn't know where to even start with this turn in event.
"The pleasure is mine, I'm sure." It seemed incredibly fortuitous to be approached in such a manner by someone who, though misunderstanding some aspects, shared a similar experience. An amused smile stretched onto her torn lips. "I like to consider her my host, personally. Thankfully, however difficult this situation is, she is not without her uses." One such use was now standing in front of her, and the pause Amrita gave, along with the pointed stare, spoke enough. "I'm very interested in your ties with her, and what she had to say about me." And how long ago they had spoken, for instance.
"To put it simply, I seek my kin." It seemed safe enough to give a proper answer, considering the offer of assistance from a creature who reaped the benefits of remembering holding a higher office. Her gaze fell on the bag at her side and the gloved hand that held it, weighing her options before returning her gaze to her current companion. "I believe I am bound by time constraints, but I would be a fool to pass on this rather fortuitous opportunity, if you would care to indulge me." She stepped to the side and gestured back to the space they had been sitting only moments before.
"As you said, 'I'll show you mine, if you show me yours'."
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Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2014 2:05 am
Ah, the tarot. Of course. Then I take it your kin are the rest of the Arcana. It made sense, but also exposed that Amrita was not hardly the only one of their kind who had something special residing inside of her. Twenty one others, at least, all of which were likely residing here in Amityville.
The world suddenly got a lot smaller.
How interesting it is that you consider her your host. In it's basic sense, a host opens its door for a guest, but there are certainly other interpretations. What you see now was my host, long ago. This body, she belonged to another. She did not open her doors for me willingly - and of course, she is gone now. Perhaps Amrita is a far luckier host to have a more respectful guest. Riley laughed, the hollow echoey sound reverberating in her mind's voice once more. This time, however, she laughed freely - honestly amused by the thought.
Amrita told me once, she was conflicted over you. She thought that you might bring her happiness, if she worked in tandem with you. But there was fear there. You can imagine why. But I think she respects you. And, you, her, I hope?
It felt like a fair assumption. If she didn't respect Amrita, Riley thought the ghoul might have been lost already. The Moon had direct, clear goals - Amrita had confusion and indecision. One would have easily outwon over the other, in a war.
And I wonder. You work hard to reunite, but. Is there any sign your kin search for you?
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Posted: Thu May 01, 2014 10:09 am
"We are all named for the Arcana." Amrita confirmed. "But some are shared." To her knowledge, there was one other Moon and a few others that shared namesakes, but ultimately it didn't matter; they held their arcana name close, and chose another name to separate themselves.
"Interesting. Was there a reason you chose your vessel? Did she fight you from the beginning?" It was rather nice to hear that she wasn't alone in this, though their circumstances did still seem different, it was close enough to be of a comfort. Though she was curious for her own reasons; she couldn't hear her host. She couldn't feel the other Amrita there, but according to Maritess and Amarus - and even Riley, now - she was there, apparently being the Sun to her Moon. How long that would last she had no idea, and admittedly this was the first time she had even considered it. Yes, this meeting was indeed fortuitous.
Though to hear that Amrita knew about her was rather interesting; it posed problems, sure, but it was still rather amusing. One knew of the other, and yet the other knew nothing. Moon would not comment on the potential of working with her host, however.
"I do indeed." She confirmed, with a smile that was perhaps a little too cruel to be convincing. "She is quite useful." Her fingers strummed briefly on her bag, where the dorm registry had been tucked away; she didn't know how difficult it would have been to get otherwise, but the crew working that night seemed more than eager to help her once they recognized her.
"So far, no. It seems that their memories have been written off as dreams in this world." Her lips pressed together, clearly unimpressed by this turn in events. It made her job harder, but alas, it seemed a necessary evil. "But, no matter. I am patient, and the ones I have found seem eager to remember. They doubt themselves and their abilities now, but I am confident I can help them realize themselves once more." She nodded again, her voice soft with fondness.
"The only uncertainty in my existence right now is time."
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